Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday stressed on the need to create awareness among people for environmental conservation. “Merely academic discussion will not serve the purpose. We (people) must change the way we think about environment and the earth. We need to change ourselves to protect the environment,” Kumar said while inaugurating the 19th conference-cum-national seminar of the Association of Geographers, Bihar and Jharkhand (AGBJ) in Patna.

Stating that the issue of urbanisation will be discussed at the two-day conference, Kumar said “But its my suggestion to geographers that we must think about the earth in order to secure our future.” It is the people’s responsibility to protect and save the earth, Kumar said adding that “earth can fulfil our needs but not our greed,” the official release said.

Kumar said that his government is implementing the major developmental schemes of “Saat Nishchay” in a decentralised manner through urban and rural local bodies whereas efforts are on to provide water to villages which is free of arsenic, fluoride and iron in a centralised manner.

Even sewerage treated water would not be discharged in river Ganga, rather sewerage treated water will be used for irrigation purpose, he said adding that work on river system is on in Aryabhatta Knowledge Centre.

The state government can think of setting up a “Centre of Geography” at Aryabhatta Knowledge University, the CM said. He also released the souvenir and journal of The Association of Geographers, Bihar and Jharkhand (AGBJ), the release said.